SHOWDOWN
by Corellian Maid
Summary: In a duel with someone from his past...who wins? Han or the other?


SHOWDOWN

By: Lynda Vandiver

Luke, Leia, Lando, Han and Chewbacca shouldered their way though the rowdy crowd which populated the small, dingy, port city cantina, as they tried to find an out-of-the-way-table to accommodate them all. Leia wrinkled her nose in disgust and covered one ear with the palm of her hand to muffle the driving, primitive, nearly over-powering drum-beat of the bawdy band. With the other, she pushed away the hands and tentacles that reached out to grasp at her as the group moved slowly toward a back booth.

"What an awful place!" She commented loudly, throwing a scathing look at Han's back.

"Yeah". Lando agreed, surveying the room. He'd seen the inside of many disreputable places, but nothing like this. The bar was lined with nearly every life form known, all obviously intoxicated, but still eagerly downing the various liquids served up by the bartender. Couples huddled in corners and booths while others swayed dance-like, in the center of the cantina, to the driving music. The place was cave-like, dark and hazy. "You sure know how to pick 'em." Lando said.

"No pick to it." Han answered the jibe as he stopped at an empty corner booth and waited while the others scooted into their seats. "This is the ONLY place around here to get a drink, and I NEED one. I didn't hear anyone complain when I mentioned the idea, did I?" No one answered.

Han and Chewbacca seated themselves last, facing each other on opposite sides of the booth; their customary positions in places like this, always ready, in case trouble decided to pay a call.

"It's awfully dark in here." Leia said, straining to see through the shadows and smoke.

Han leaned back, welcoming the cool padding against tension tired shoulders. "Some of these guys would say it's too light for the sort of business they carry on."

"Like what?" The Princess asked, then quickly amended, "Never mind", when she saw a wicked smile cross the Corellian's face. She knew it would delight him to embarrass her in front of the others. "I don't think I really want to know."

"This reminds me of the cantina in Mos Eisley, where Ben and I first met you." Luke said, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived.

"That was along time ago." Han replied. "I'm surprised you remember."

"Yeah." Skywalker answered wistfully, thinking back.

A grotesque, barely-dressed and distinctly female humanoid server slinked over to their booth. "And what will you have?" She asked, eyeing Solo as if he were the only one seated at the table. Brazenly she slid one hand along his shoulder and down across his chest. Catching Leia's shocked and annoyed reaction, Han grinned, but removed the server's hand and held it away to avoid further 'explorations.' "Just bring two bottles of Zahmeon and five glasses and we'll do the rest." He folded currency into her hand before releasing it.

She examined the money appreciatively, and leaned over, virtually lip-to-lip with Han. "You want anything else, you know where I am." She turned then, and slinked back to the bar to fill the order.

"Well," Lando broke the suddenly awkward silence with a teasing laugh, "no one would ever know you'd never been here before."

"His reputation precedes him." Leia spat. Even though their relationship had changed, she still didn't quite know what to make of his dubious past, especially at times like this.

Han refused to be bated; he knew they were all tired, and hence irritable. "Look, I just want to have a drink and unwind. We've been through a lot today. But, if you want to go back to the ship, go ahead."

"And leave you to the likes of her?" Leia answered. "Not on your life."

"I think we should celebrate." Luke interrupted, attempting to raise their sunken morale. "I admit, it wasn't easy getting those supplies, but we did it." Chewbacca woofed in agreement.

"Who'd've though we'd still have to work undercover for the Alliance?" Lando mused. "After all, Vader and the Emperor are dead …it should be over." Realizing what he'd said, the black man gave Luke a sympathetic glance. "Sorry, kid." Skywalker nodded in understanding.

"There are still some sections of the galaxy that hate the Rebellion," Leia went on, "and this is one of them. You have to admit, some areas prospered quite well under the Emperor's rule; Verinaze was one of them. Now this planet's got to start all over again, and that's hard for anyone to accept. They're bitter. It'll take time to win them over. Until then, we have to move cautiously."

Han nodded in silent agreement, though the look in his eye said that he was thinking of more than the Alliance, or Verinaze. He was remembering, quite clearly, the time he had to start his own life all over again.

At the bar, a young man watched intently as the sultry humanoid server took a full tray from the counter and made her way to a back booth. Raising a glass to his lips, he drank eagerly of the fiery, bittersweet liquid. He continued to watch every movement of the female as she placed the glasses and bottles on the table. From his own bottle he refilled his glass and again drank thirstily. As he watched the exchange of conversation between the server and the customers, especially the spacer seated on the outside of the booth…his attention was drawn away from the female and recognition slowly filled his fuzzy mind.

He KNEW that spacer! Fire surged through his veins as he came to the full realization of who that man was…and what he NOW had to do.

"Another bottle." He rasped at the barkeep. The scruffy man eyed the youth skeptically, but produced a full bottle when currency was laid on the counter. His business was making money, not worrying about the sobriety of young fools who didn't have the sense to know when to stop.

The young man's hands shook unsteadily as he downed several more drinks. He wasn't drinking to steady his nerves, he reasoned, but to bolster his determination and numb himself against what he HAD to do.

Realizing that time was passing, perhaps even running out, he finally took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as he slid off the barstool. Walking slowly to the appropriate booth, he never took his eyes off the spacer. The drumbeat became a pounding pulse within him, growing stronger and stronger until he couldn't distinguish it from his own heartbeat. He burned with a confidence and purpose that was enhanced by the two bottles of liquor he'd downed. Stopping less than a meter from the booth, he called to the man who now used the name Han Solo.

"Solo!"

All conversation at the table stopped as Han turned and looked at the one who'd called his name. He eyed the young man carefully, from the slightly unkempt brown hair, his handsome features and common deck clothes. Han particularly noted the presence of a blaster, strapped to the young man's left thigh. He was fingering the leather absently, nervously. Dismissing him, Han turned back to his companions.

"SOLO!" The persistent young man called more loudly. Nearby patrons looked up curiously.

Han turned again. Luke and Leia looked at each other while Lando nodded to Chewbacca who nodded back.

"Yes." The Corellian answered, casually draining his glass and calmly setting it on the table.

"We have some unfinished business." The youth flexed his shoulders. A frown knit Calrissian's brow. The boy was a good ten or twelve years younger than Han; he'd have been a kid years ago, when Han was making 'deals' and doing business with his like.

"I have no business with you." Han told him.

"I say you do." The youth insisted. "It took me a long time to follow your trail and find you….and I'm calling you out to finish it."

Solo smiled lazily, a camouflage to cover his alertness. "Use your head, kid. You don't want to do this."

The young man took another deep breath. "You either fight me fair, or I'll kill you where you sit, I vowed a long time ago to take care of you for what you did to my family."

Leia looked at Han, concerned. She knew little about Han's past, and her imagination was running wild, hearing the young man's words. She hoped someone would stop this before it went any further; no matter how cranky she'd been feeling, she couldn't bear the thought of possibly losing Han in a senseless barroom brawl, not after all they'd lived through…how her feelings toward him had grown. "Han…"

"Stay out of this, Leia." He told her gruffly, not wanting her or any of the others to get involved.

"It's been ten years, Solo. The young man went on "But, I knew, one day our paths would cross…that I'd find you."

"And you did. Go home, kid. You're drunk."

"Are you afraid to fight me? You're older.. but maybe you're not as good as you used to be. Is that it?"

"You don't want to find out". Han hissed, still making no attempt to move.

Frustrated, the young man drew his blaster and aimed it at Leia. Sensing a confrontation, the nearby patrons scattered.

"You fight me, Solo." He growled between anger-clenched teeth, or your pretty girlfriend here will be the first to die for your cowardice."

Han looked up and into the boy's burning, dark eyes; he could see he was serious. By threatening Leia, he'd forced his hand.

"I don't want to do this." The Corellian said, rising slowly.

The youth laughed sarcastically. "You think you're gonna kill me, Han?" He patronized. "I'm good andfast…faster than you ever dreamed of being. You see, I've been practicing every day for the last ten years, just for this very moment. Can you say the same?" He eyed the others at the table. "No…it's YOUR friends who'll mourn, Solo, not mine."

Leia could stand it no longer….'HAN!" she cried.

"Leave him alone." Lando interrupted, putting out one hand to keep her from rising. This is something he can't back down from." The Princess glared at him, but his expression stilled her.

His blaster still aimed squarely at Leia, the young man slowly backed into the center of the room, which has been cleared by the crowd. Han matched him step for step, until they were alone on the floor, each illuminated by the faint light.

The boy holstered his weapon as Han flipped open the restraining strap on his own. Tension was thick, and every breath taken could be heard in the sudden, dead silence.

"This is where justice is finally meted out, and family honor restored." The young man declared. He spat his last words like a curse from a doomed man's lips. "Goodbye Han Solo. You'll never know what hit you."

In a split second that stopped eternity, both men drew and fired. A blinding light flashed, lighting the obscenely filthy cantina for one, painful moment. Leia's scream of fear echoed through the room.

Slowly, the noise of scream and blaster faded along with the light, leaving the lone survivor standing in shadow. Lando and Chewbacca quickly slid from the booth, making their way through the now crowding patrons.

"Han!" Calrissian called as he pushed into the center of the room. Solo stood rigid, his blaster still aimed. "It's all over buddy." Lando said roughly, rousing Solo from his near trance-like state. "It's over."

Han slowly holstered his blaster. "I killed him." He said flatly.

"It was a fair fight." Lando insisted. "You had no choice." He knew what his friend was feeling…it was never easy.

Han walked over to the fallen young spacer and stared at his still form for a long time. Then, kneeling, he ran a rough hand along the curve of the boy's face.

"These hot-headed young kids're always challenging someone to a fight." Lando spat, watching Han caress the young man's cheek. "They'll never learn you can't win just because you're carrying a grudge. Did you know him?" He asked softly.

Han took a deep breath and raised his head. Lando saw deep anguish etched on his friend's tear stained face. "He was my younger brother."


End file.
